With the Quebec government grappling with a growing labour shortage, the province is looking to employ more anglophones as part of a larger hiring blitz.
The province said it wants English-speaking Quebecers to apply for the 1,500 open positions in the civil service during a call for applications announced Thursday.
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“Over the next two weeks, we will continue to remind people that it’s time to apply,” said Kathleen Weil, the minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers.
The full-time and part-time positions are in areas such as project management, economics, administration and finance, and statistics and research — but the province says it is looking for candidates in all civil service fields.
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Most of the positions are located in the greater Quebec City and Montreal areas.
For those who are looking to work in other areas, there are also jobs to be filled in regions across the province, including Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
The Quebec Community Groups Network praised the move, saying hiring more English-speaking Quebecers reflects the diversity of the province.
In a statement, the organization said it is “delighted with the news” and is offering to help any interested candidates apply for civil service careers.
The call for applications lasts until June 19.
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Quebec wants more workers in the regions
The announcement comes weeks after the Liberal government unveiled a plan to address Quebec’s growing labour shortage.
In late May, the province said it needed to fill 90,000 jobs immediately and more than one million over the next 10 years.
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As part of the measures, the Quebec government pledged more than $1 billion over the next five years — including $30 million in French language training.
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said the situation is particularly dire in the regions, where he said business owners are scrambling to meet demands due to the labour shortage.
“‘Bring me workers’ — that’s what I hear,” he said.
— with files from Global’s Raquel Fletcher
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